Advice from the veteran to the youngster: Pol Espargaro hopes that future KTM factory rider Pedro Acosta will remain patient in difficult phases
In his first MotoGP season, Pedro Acosta has made a strong impression so far. In the 13 race weekends so far this season, he has already made it onto the podium three times on Sundays alone. In the current 2024 MotoGP overall standings, the Tech3 rider is just behind the KTM factory rider in sixth place
With his third place at MotorLand Aragon at the beginning of September, Acosta on the Tech3-GasGas KTM RC16 was the one who stopped the series of complete Ducati podiums. This streak, in which only Ducati riders had made it onto the podium on Sundays, stood at eight Grands Prix before the Aragon weekend.
Apart from his three podium finishes (Portimao, Austin, Aragon), Acosta also made it into the top three in the sprints three times in his rookie season in the premier class. In the summer, however, he also had a bit of a slump
Has Acosta taken on too much as a rookie?
Has the 20-year-old Spaniard possibly taken on too much and already assumed a level of responsibility in the KTM program with regard to the further development of the bike that was not expected of him at this stage of his MotoGP career?
“He started very strongly,” the technician thinks back to Acosta’s first races on the MotoGP bike and speculates with a view to the summer: ”I personally believe that he has taken the whole burden of KTM on his shoulders. That’s just too much for such a young guy, regardless of how good he is. “
What advice Espargaro has for Acosta
Within the KTM program, Acosta relies on tips from Dani Pedrosa and Pol Espargaro. The two test riders from the Austrian manufacturer each have immense MotoGP experience.
When asked by our colleagues from Motorsport.com Spain what advice he would give Acosta, Espargaro replied: “Acosta must understand that in the MotoGP class, unfortunately, it is not always the best or the fastest rider who wins.”
“Unfortunately,” the KTM test rider continues, ”you can’t compare this sport to tennis or soccer. An even clearer contrast would probably be athletics, where the best person wins. Here, on the other hand, you need other things besides talent to be able to win”.
Espargaro is referring to the technical component and therefore not least to the motorcycle. His advice to Acosta: “He needs to be patient. I know that talent and a hunger for success at his age do not necessarily go hand in hand with patience. But we are doing everything we can to close the gap to Ducati. “
“I am convinced that next year will be the beginning of the end of so much [Ducati] dominance,” says Espargaro, looking ahead to the 2025 MotoGP season. “And yet we must continue to work hard and Pedro must continue to believe in this [KTM] project,” said the experienced Spaniard.
Acosta will move from the Tech3 team to the factory team within the KTM program for the 2025 MotoGP season. As Brad Binder’s new teammate, the young Spaniard will succeed Jack Miller. The Australian, in turn, is about to be announced as the second regular rider at Pramac-Yamaha.